6'540: that is the record-breaking number of abstracts submitted for the 2010 Barcelona Congress, up a massive 21% on the previous record of 5,386, established in Vienna in 2009 (2008: 5,325). Based on this figure, predicted attendance at the Congress is 22,415 participants.

Needless to say, we are delighted. It is indeed rare to achieve measurable results like these, which reward both the commitment of ERS leadership and officers and the dedication of its members.

A further cause for celebrating the record figures is their contribution towards achieving the primary goal of ERS, which is to offer the finest Congress and highest quality scientific programme available anywhere. In effect, the more abstracts we receive, the more selective we become, inevitably leading to year-on-year higher standards of excellence.

We believe that the conditions are now well and truly in place for ERS Barcelona 2010 to be the single un-missable respiratory Congress of 2010. Don’t forget! Registration opens 6 April 2010